History of Aurangzib, Based on Original Sources v5.c74.s6: § 8. Campaign of 1690.
History of Aurangzib, Based on Original Sources v5.c74.s6
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§ 8. Campaign of 1690.
v5.c74.s6.1
The year 1690 opened very badly for the imperialists in the Karnatak. While the coming of Rajaram gave an impetus to Maratha activity in December 1689, next month the Mughal cause suffered a temporary eclipse from the rebellion of the old Haidarabadi local officers lately taken over into the Emperor's service. Muhammad Sadiq, the foremost among them, brooded over his removal from the local command; Yachapa Nayak and Ismail Maka, too, found out that the profuse promises made to them when the Emperor annexed Golkonda territory and sought their adhesion, were not intended to be kept and that they were sure to be replaced by former servants of the Emperor and doomed to unemployment or humbler offices. So they deserted their new master, made an alliance with Rajaram (through the mediation of Nilo Moreshwar Pinglé, the Peshwa) and began to usurp the country and collect the revenue. The imperial representatives, from Madras to Kunimedu, were hopelessly outnumbered and defeated and forced to flee to the European settlements on the coast. The governor Askar Ali Khan himself had to send his family and many of his followers to Madras for refuge (April). The rebellion was extinguished only at the approach of Zulfiqar Khan as the supreme Mughal commander a few months later. He had been detached from the imperial Court at Koregaon at the end of November 1689, marched by way of Raichur, Karnul, Nandiyal, Kadapa, and Garamkonda, and then descended into the Karnatak plain (about June 1690), fighting and capturing many forts on the way and reaching Conjeveram in August and the environs of Jinji at the beginning of September. [Dil. ii. 98b ; Madras Diary, 1 and 22 Sep. 1690]. Rajaram had sent his own troops with the contingents of his allies, Tanjore Trimbak Rao and Yachapa Nayak, north-westwards into the Karnatak plateau to prevent the Mughal general's descent into the eastern plains, but the terror of his name was too great and they returned "without doing anything." [Z. S.]
v5.c74.s6.2
The military situation was now* reversed; the Maratha raiding bands were driven back by the Mughals and "invasion threatened the dominions of Rajaram." [Kaep. 272]. The Maratha retreat to Jinji was precipitate, and the coming of Zulfiqar Khan, crowned with his great victory at Raigarh and the capture of Shambhuji's entire family, as well as his unbroken series of successes in the Kadapa and Arcot districts, at first created a consternation at Jinji. Rajaram left that fort and went to some safer refuge further south in the Karnatak, nearer his ally the Rajah of Tanjore, [Z. S.], and in October Zulfiqar wrote to the French to prevent his escape by the sea in an English ship. [Kaep. 279].
v5.c74.s6.3
The miserable country from Jinji to the sea-coast continued to be pillaged by the camp-followers and "couriers" of both sides. The local people fled with their families for safety far to the south in Tanjore territory, or to the European factories on the coast, and hence the population of Pondicherry doubled in the course of one year (rising to 60,000 souls.) [Kaep. 278.]
v5.c74.s6.4
∗ Kaeppelin says in March; but that is too early, as Zulfiqar arrived at Conjeveram in August and could not have reached Saddam, the southern frontier station of the Kadapa district and place of descent into the Karnatak plain, earlier than the preceding June or July.